my boys start school next week, and i'm really struggling with it. there have been some issues with school this year, budget cuts, school closure and fucktard administration policies. really this affects my 5 year old going into kindergarten more than my 13 year old. our district is an inner city school district, with some problems unique to such.
kindergarten is now 1/2 day, so we had to arrange not only half day childcare, but transportation to this from the school. our district does not bus, except for the one remaining magnet school. many of the small children in this district are watched by older siblings until their parents come home from work. now i worry the 5 year old will be left alone until their siblings get home from school.
school starts thursday, and they still have no idea what his stop will be (yes, they expected a 5 yr old to walk alone from a bus stop to his afternoon school) so my request to have him actually dropped off at the door of the school is complicated. i hope i'm expressing how frustrated i am. his morning school is in a bad area, and i'm concerned about the people who walk past the school on their way to the methadone clinic and social services offices. many of the services offered are specifically for people in transition, either homeless, or transitioning from jail. exactly the sort of people who do NOT need to be spending time near small children. (ny also has no restrictions on sexual predators's proximity to schools/playgrounds/churches, etc. and many of them remain in these transition programs for life) so i think about him transferring on a bus from there to his afternoon school. without me.
also, they don't know yet if he'll have lunch. they do not know, one week before school, if my son will eat at the morning or afternoon school. do i pack a lunch? can he buy a lunch? i need to know this!
my older son still has no schedule. i walked into the office to inquire when we'd get it, and i was told, 'this week'. but, if not, on the first day of school there will be homerooms listed in the lobby, and the kids will find out what their classes are that day. i do not like not being able to review his schedule before school. we have no idea what sports he will or even can, take.
what have the schools been busy with? why are these fundamental things not taken care of? they decided to implement a uniform policy for the district. while i have no objection to uniforms, this particular policy is very strange. it's called a mandatory uniform, but it's really elective and there will be no disciplinary measures taken towards children who do not wear one. omfg!!! that is NOT mandatory. THAT is elective! *pokes self in eye with sharpened pencil* so they've been dicking around ALL SUMMER with repeated public and school board meetings, endless papers sent home specifically about the uniform policy, calls home, and two fashion shows held at the middle school where vendors were allowed to sell to the parents. the school district say they do not endorse any uniform suppliers. well, wtf do you call holding fashion shows where 3 vendors sell to the public on school grounds?
so, my frustration mounts. district has a 50% graduation rate, 85% of students are on a free meal plan, they've recently closed 2 schools, laid off 80 positions, cut after school sports and music and tutoring and reduced kindergarten to half day from full day. but the only action for 3 months is a uniform policy that creates a bullying hazard? and then, yesterday, there was a drive by shooting directly in front of the school where my 5 yr old will be in a week, at 1:45 PM. i looked online and found another shooting in june, and one last year. my fears are mounting.
kindergarten is now 1/2 day, so we had to arrange not only half day childcare, but transportation to this from the school. our district does not bus, except for the one remaining magnet school. many of the small children in this district are watched by older siblings until their parents come home from work. now i worry the 5 year old will be left alone until their siblings get home from school.
school starts thursday, and they still have no idea what his stop will be (yes, they expected a 5 yr old to walk alone from a bus stop to his afternoon school) so my request to have him actually dropped off at the door of the school is complicated. i hope i'm expressing how frustrated i am. his morning school is in a bad area, and i'm concerned about the people who walk past the school on their way to the methadone clinic and social services offices. many of the services offered are specifically for people in transition, either homeless, or transitioning from jail. exactly the sort of people who do NOT need to be spending time near small children. (ny also has no restrictions on sexual predators's proximity to schools/playgrounds/churches, etc. and many of them remain in these transition programs for life) so i think about him transferring on a bus from there to his afternoon school. without me.
also, they don't know yet if he'll have lunch. they do not know, one week before school, if my son will eat at the morning or afternoon school. do i pack a lunch? can he buy a lunch? i need to know this!
my older son still has no schedule. i walked into the office to inquire when we'd get it, and i was told, 'this week'. but, if not, on the first day of school there will be homerooms listed in the lobby, and the kids will find out what their classes are that day. i do not like not being able to review his schedule before school. we have no idea what sports he will or even can, take.
what have the schools been busy with? why are these fundamental things not taken care of? they decided to implement a uniform policy for the district. while i have no objection to uniforms, this particular policy is very strange. it's called a mandatory uniform, but it's really elective and there will be no disciplinary measures taken towards children who do not wear one. omfg!!! that is NOT mandatory. THAT is elective! *pokes self in eye with sharpened pencil* so they've been dicking around ALL SUMMER with repeated public and school board meetings, endless papers sent home specifically about the uniform policy, calls home, and two fashion shows held at the middle school where vendors were allowed to sell to the parents. the school district say they do not endorse any uniform suppliers. well, wtf do you call holding fashion shows where 3 vendors sell to the public on school grounds?
so, my frustration mounts. district has a 50% graduation rate, 85% of students are on a free meal plan, they've recently closed 2 schools, laid off 80 positions, cut after school sports and music and tutoring and reduced kindergarten to half day from full day. but the only action for 3 months is a uniform policy that creates a bullying hazard? and then, yesterday, there was a drive by shooting directly in front of the school where my 5 yr old will be in a week, at 1:45 PM. i looked online and found another shooting in june, and one last year. my fears are mounting.
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
saraberri:
thanks everyone! looks like we made enough noise to get him actually dropped off at the 2nd school, where areal person will see him off the bus...
shmoogy:
Just reading about this now....omg....this situation is horrible!!!! Sorry that you are having to deal with this!!! That shouldn't even be!!! Glad to hear that you got the bus situation to work though.